Veteran John Hemminger was 'perfectionist'

Every Sunday at 11:30 a.m., brothers John and Neil Hemminger made time to catch up and talk. They talked about health, the weather and how John's cats were doing.

John Hemminger served three tours in Vietnam in the Military Police Detachment and worked as a police officer in Columbia for 20 years, Neil Hemminger said.

John Hemminger died Monday, March 5, 2012, at McLarney Manor in Brookfield. He was 64.

He was born Sept. 19, 1947, in Webster City, Iowa, to Bob and Donna Gene (Eppard) Hemminger.

Mr. Hemminger "was quite a gentleman. He was a quiet, polite and methodical man," said former Columbia Police Chief Ernie Barbee, who served with Mr. Hemminger on the force for 20 years. "He treated people with a lot of respect."

He was also a perfectionist. Barbee said Mr. Hemminger was extremely orderly in the way he filled out police reports and he always took his break at the same time, when his work allowed it. He was the type of man a person could count on, Barbee said.

For fun, Mr. Hemminger liked to tinker with old computers and stay current with all the new electronics, his brother said.

Mr. Hemminger was a huge animal lover. Neil Hemminger said his brother had a lot of cats over the years.

Memorials can be made to the Linn County Humane Society and may be left at Wright-Baker-Hill Funeral Home, 1201 W. Helm St., Brookfield, MO 64628 or mailed to P.O. Box 496, Brookfield, MO 64628.